Chapter 37: Chapter Twenty One – The Power of F***

“The scouts report the vanguard of the royal guard is approximately here,” Alarice announced, pointing to a spot on a map laid out on a stump being used as a makeshift war table. I peered uselessly at the location on the map. I had no idea where that was. “It’ll take a few hours for the main body to get through the caves and make their way to the plateau. But we need to be long gone before that happens.”

“Where is the vanguard, now?” Carrisyn asked.

“They’re being taken care of by our hunters as we speak,” Lyrei chewed her bottom lip nervously. “This is going to be tough. We have nearly 500 elves we have to evacuate, and many are wounded.”

“We’ll have to have the healthier elves fight a rear-guard action,” Alarice shook her head.

“There’ll be plenty of elves who’ll volunteer, but I worry it may be too little,” Lyrei ran her finger along a line across what I assumed to be the lower part of the plateau. “The plateau’s nearly half a kilometer at its narrowest here. That’s a long skirmish line that’ll have to be established.”

“Why don’t- “I tried to interject but Alarice forged on oblivious, whether intentionally or no, to me.

“I don’t see any other way,” Alarice shook her head. “They have to be held to give your people a chance to get through the passes and onto the Braka plains. We’ve arranged for boats to take you across the Willowmere. Once you’re on the other side you’ll be safe enough and can take your time. But if the King’s Guard catches you in the mountain passes there’ll be no survival.”

“That’s all well and- “I tried to break in again but once more I was ignored. I gritted my teeth, getting pissed, now. Perhaps it was a case of being eternally clam jammed by one thing or another, but my anger was rising like a wave.

“I’m just worried the rear-guard is a suicide mission,” Lyrei shook her head. “If the line is broken anywhere, it’s a simple matter to cut the whole off from possible escape. I have enough warriors with me, and we can hold the line for a little while but…”

“I think we sh- “I began again.

“Absolutely not!” Carrisyn interjected this time. “You’re a queen, now. You can’t throw yourself into danger like that. Your people need you.”

“Everyone shut the fuck up!” I slammed my hand down on the map. A pillar of electric blue flame engulfed my hand before erupting into the black sky, twisting, and roiling like a snake before fading abruptly. I stared at the charred papyrus under my hand in silent amazement while everyone else had fallen quiet and was staring at me.

“What the hell was that?” Carrisyn finally asked, breaking the silence. Her interest was rich coming from a mage, but I finally had their attention and wasn’t about to let it go without being heard.

“Don’t know,” I snarled, thoroughly impressed with whatever I’d just done, but feeling it necessary to feign nonchalance. “Don’t care. Fucking listen to me for a minute. Goddamn you people. Seriously.”

“I’d say you definitely have our attention, cutey,” Sascha giggled.

“Why not just blow up the cave?” I finally grabbed my chance to speak. Everyone stared at me for a long moment.

“What are you- “Alarice began in exasperation.

“I hadn’t thought of that!” Carrisyn interrupted her for a change, and I found myself smirking. She turned to Lysabel. “Can you do it?”

“What are you talking about?” Alarice sighed irritably.

“How wide is the cave?” Lysabel asked.

“Hmmm,” Lyrei thought for a moment. “50 meters at the entrance.”

“No, not possible,” Lysabel shook her head. “I could maybe bring down half of it.”

“Shit,” I sagged.

“Wait!” Lyrei bounced excitedly. “There’s a bottleneck about half a kilometer inside the cave maybe 30 meters altogether. How about there?”

“It would take everything I have but I could probably bring it down,” Lysabel nodded, excitement showing on her still bruised and battered face.

“Then we have our plan!” Carrisyn enthused. Everyone smiled and nodded. Even Alarice appeared excited. “Your highness, get your people ready to move once you hear back from the Hunters the vanguard’s been dispatched. Lysabel and I will go to the cave and take care of it as soon as we’re clear.”

“No, no, no,” I shook my head. “Lysabel and I will go take care of the cave while the rest of you help get the Elves ready to move.”

“Not a chance!” Carrisyn and Lyrei exclaimed at the same time.

“It’s my idea so I’m going,” I dug my heels in. I wanted to do something concrete and real and since I couldn’t blow it up, I would damn well see that it was done. I may not feel the same about the elves as Lyrei, but it didn’t mean I didn’t love them.

“Stupid half elf,” Alarice shook her head. “You’re out of your depth. I’ll go.”

“I may be stupid,” I shrugged,” But I’m also less necessary than the rest of you.” I deflated at the realization I’d not just copped to being a moron, but also noting I was a fifth wheel.

“That’s not true!” Carrisyn protested angrily. “I can’t do any of this without you.”

“You can. I have faith in you,” I put my hand on hers reassuringly. I was so fucking noble right now. I was wholly impressed with myself.

“No, I mean, literally, I can’t do this without you. The wards around the old elven fortress won’t open without you,” the former countess pointed out.

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“Romance, truly, is dead,” I muttered. “Still, I’ll keep Lysabel safe. We don’t have much time, though. This needs to be done and fast.”

The air was cold and crisp but overly so as we made our way back toward the cave entrance leading to the smoking ruins of the warren. Although dawn was still an hour away at least the sky had already begun to lighten in the east. Lysabel walked beside me wordlessly, hood still pulled low over her face. I glanced over at her surreptitiously and scowled. Should I ask her why she was all bruised up? Would that be rude? Probably. Conversely, I really did want to know.

“So,” I said, the word coming out like a croak. I cleared my throat. How did one broach a subject like that? Did you face-plant into a wall? I bet the other person looked worse, huh? Or maybe stick with something tried and true like “I spy with my little eye something black and blue.”

“Prince Galen beat me, then had me tortured,” Lysabel stated matter-of-factly before I could wrap my mind around how to ask. Memories of the royal torture chamber sprang to mind, and I shuddered. I also felt an anger rise deep inside me. That condescending prick! That absolute arrogant piece of shit! I would dearly love to spit roast him on my daggers about now.

“I…uh…” I lowered my eyes.

“It’s what you wanted to ask, correct?” Lysabel peered at me, no reproach or shame in her eyes. It simply was what it was, which made it somehow worse.

“I, uh, suppose, yes,” I stammered. What do I say? Sorry would accomplish nothing. What should one say in a situation like that? “I want to kill him.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. I gasped in surprise at my own harsh words and raised my hands in apology. “I-I didn’t…I’m…I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Lysabel chuckled slightly at my awkwardness. “There’s nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong. As for you wanting to kill him, you’ll have to get in line, I’m afraid.”

“I can’t blame you for that,” I nodded as we passed through a lonely stand of straggly pine trees. “I’d call dibs, too.”

“It wasn’t the first time. But it’ll definitely be the last,” Lysabel scowled fiercely.

“Good for you, girl!” I patted her shoulder reassuringly. “How’d you even get into this thing with Prince Dillhole anyway?”

“Tch,” Lysabel sucked her teeth in the first sign of anger I’d seen from her. “Politics. My family thought that by marrying me off to Prince Galen- “

“Dillhole,” I corrected her. I had no actual idea what a dillhole was, but it seemed rather savage and quite apt. She giggled, covering her mouth with one hand in a way that spoke of years spent studying etiquette.

“Dillhole, then,” She giggled louder. “They thought if I married him, I’d have some influence in the Rhade court and could keep Esterwyn off their kill list. At least for a while.”

“So, basically, you were sold to Dillhole in exchange for the possibility your country would be spared in the short-term,” I muttered almost to myself.

“Hmmm,” Lysabel pondered for a moment. “I guess that’s pretty accurate. When you say it like that it sounds rather unsavory.”

“’Unsavory’? That’s fucked up is what that is,” I retorted. “Unsavory is buying Comiket tickets from a surly wannabe lothario named Jun dressed like a demonic magical girl in a dark alley. Selling your daughter to a sadistic piece of rat shit is fucked up and wrong in every way possible.”

“I don’t know what a ‘Comiket’ is, or what ‘fucked’ up is, but you are most likely correct,” Lysabel grinned at me.

“Damn straight I’m right!” I smacked my fist into my hand with an audible slap. “I’ll help you end him.” Lysabel laughed out loud this time.

“That sounds fair, but I want to be the one who finishes him off.”

“Oh, yeah,” I nodded. “Definitely. Wait…are the elves going to be safe in Esterwyn? I mean, a family who’d pawn their daughter off to a humanoid pile of vomit might try to use the elves as leverage.”

“They’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve sent messengers to my sister, and she will personally see to their safety,” Lysabel replied seriously. “Not to mention I escaped the torture room because an agent sent by my family. I believe in my heart they didn’t know what Galen was but have been looking out for me.” We emerged from a thicket and stared at the black maw of the cave.

“Well, it’s still not right,” I shook my head disapprovingly.

“You’ll help me make it right, though,” Lysabel stared at me with a halting smile on her face. I took her hand and smiled back.

“Most definitely,” I squeezed her hand for emphasis.

“That’s what matters, then,” Lysabel’s eyes glinted in the dark of her hood like diamonds.

“First, though,” I smiled reassuringly at her. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

“I don’t know what a ‘popsicle stand’ is,” Lysabel’s smile brightened. “But I agree. Let’s blow it!”

“Nice!”

“You’ll have to teach me some of these strange colloquialisms, Ashvallen.”

“Fuck, yes, I will!” I raised my hand in triumph.

“Fuck yes!” Lysabel echoed, raising her hand. With the power of fuck driving us forward we crept into the cave.

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